New to MyHealth?
Manage Your Care From Anywhere.
Access your health information from any device with MyHealth. You can message your clinic, view lab results, schedule an appointment, and pay your bill.
ALREADY HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?
DON'T HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?
NEED MORE DETAILS?
MyHealth for Mobile
Get the iPhone MyHealth app »
Get the Android MyHealth app »
Nutrition Services for Cancer Patients
Nutrition Services for Cancer Patients
Nutrition is an important part of life, cancer treatment, recovery, and prevention. Food is one of the few things you can be in control of during your treatment. The oncology certified registered dietitians at the Stanford Cancer Center are here to help you make informed choices about nutrition, answer your nutrition-related questions, and help you to achieve and maintain good health.
Care and Treatment
Food Safety During Cancer Treatment
Your cancer and the type of treatment you receive may weaken your immune system. Choosing and preparing safe foods can help protect you from foodborne illness. A diet rich in fruit, vegetables, grains, beans, lean meat, fish and low fat dairy are important to consume to help maintain your strength and immune system. These guidelines can help make sure your foods are safe.
Cleaning
- Proper hand washing is the first important step for food safety.
- Wash with warm soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling food. Wash after touching pets, handling garbage and using the restroom.
- Use only clean towels, sponges or paper towels to clean work surfaces, utensils and cutting boards and re-wash when switching between different foods. For example, after chopping vegetables and slicing chicken breast.
- Thoroughly rinse fresh fruit and vegetables under running water while scrubbing or brushing to remove excess dirt. Even melon, oranges and other thick skinned fruit that are peeled before eating should be washed to avoid introducing bacteria into the fruit when cutting.
Separating food
- It is especially important to prevent the juices from raw meat, poultry and fish from coming in contact with other foods.
- Place all fresh meat and fish in plastic bags at the grocery store and in the refrigerator before use.
- Use separate cutting boards for meat and produce.
- Use clean dishes to serve cooked food. Never reuse a dish that has held raw meat or fish without properly cleaning with soap and warm water.
- Avoid purchasing or eating from dented cans and foods with broken seals.
Cooking
- A food thermometer can be useful to ensure food is cooked to a safe temperature. See chart on the following page for recommended internal cooking temperatures.
- Whole or ground meats as well as mixed dishes such as casseroles should reach a safe internal temperature. Do not rely on the color of the meat for doneness.
- Eggs need to be cooked until the yolk and white is firm and not runny. Avoid recipes that call for uncooked eggs such as in many cream desserts, raw cookie dough or cake batter, hollandaise sauce, or caesar dressings.
- Bring leftover sauces, soups and gravies to a boil.
Food storage
- Avoid keeping food in the danger zone where bacteria grows the best between 40ºF and 140ºF.
- Check that your refrigerator is at 40 ºF or below.
- Place fresh or left over food in the refrigerator within 2 hours of purchase or eating.
- Refrigerate or freeze food immediately after purchase.
- Defrost food in the refrigerator, in cold water or by microwaving followed by immediate cooking.
- Use shallow pans or dishes to cool food before refrigerating to avoid increasing the refrigerator temperature.
General food safety tips
- Avoid salad bars, buffets and potlucks to reduce your risk of foodborne illness.
- Avoid unpasteurized dairy products such as unpasteurized milk, cheeses, egg nog and unpasteurized honey, juices and ciders.
- Read ‘Use By’ and expiration dates on fresh and packaged foods.
- Avoid consuming raw sprouts of any kind (including alfalfa, clover, radish, and mung bean sprouts).
- No raw or undercooked eggs, meat, fish or shellfish.
Policy on food brought in from home or takeout
- Avoid store delis and self-serve or buffet style restaurants. Food made to order from restaurants is a safer choice.
- Food cooked at home is allowed if storage and reheating guidelines are followed. Do not consume leftovers older than 48 hours.
For more information ask to speak with a registered dietitian.
Safe cooking temperatures
Use a thermometer to check the internal temperature of food near the end of cooking. The most accurate temperature is taken in the middle or core of the food or fluid.
Meat and Meat Mixtures
1
Beef, Pork, Veal, Lamb |
1
160ºF |
1
Turkey, Chicken |
1
165ºF |
Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb
1
Medium Rare |
1
145ºF |
1
Medium |
1
160ºF |
1
Well Done |
1
170ºF |
Poultry
1
Chicken and Turkey, Whole |
1
165ºF |
1
Poultry Parts |
1
165ºF |
1
Duck and Goose |
1
165ºF |
1
Stuffing (cooked alone or in bird) |
1
165ºF |
Eggs and Egg Dishes
1
Eggs |
1
Cooked until white and yolk are firm |
1
Egg Dishes such as Omelet, Quiche, Frittata or Soufflé |
1
160ºF |
Seafood
1
Fin Fish such as Salmon, Halibut, Tuna, Mahi-mahi, Catfish |
1
145ºF until flesh is opaque |
1
Shrimp, Lobster, Crab |
1
Unitl flesh is pearly and opaque |
1
Clams, Oysters, Mussels |
1
Shells open during cooking. Discard any unopened shells. |
1
Scallops |
1
Milky white color or opaque and firm |



Recipes
Cancer Fighting Recipe of the Week: Week 3
In honor of Colon Cancer Awareness month, we'll be featuring four colorectal cancer friendly recipes each week during the month of March.
Basil Broccoi
Broccoli, cabbage, collard greens, kale, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are all cruciferous vegetables. This vegetable family contains powerful phytochemicals, including carotenoids, indoles and glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, which have been studied and shown to slow the growth of many cancers.
- Asparagus and Scallion Soup with Almonds
- Black Bean and Corn Salad
- Broccoli Sunflower Salad
- Butternut Squash Soup
- California Citrus Greens Salad with Garlic Dressing
- Carrot and Apple Soup
- Creamy Irish Soup
- Crunchy Chicken Salad
- Curried Chicken Salad
- Curried Chickpea Salad with Walnuts
- Easy Pea Soup with Tarragon
- Egyptian Red Lentil Soup
- Fall Stew in a Pumpkin with Poblano-Cucumber Salsa
- Pumpkin Bisque
- Roasted Asparagus Salad
- Salmon Salad with Pimento and Herbs
- Shredded Carrot and Beet Salad
- Spicy Black Bean Salad
- Spinach Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
- Spinach, Red Bell Pepper and Feta Cheese Salad with Yogurt Dressing
- Spring Pea Soup
- Summer Rice Salad
- Sweet and Spicy Carrot Salad
- Vegetable Soup
- Whole Grain Salad
- 10 Minute Italian Chicken Stir Fry
- Anytime Burrito
- Baked Tofu Kabobs
- Barley, Turkey & Butternut Squash Casserole
- Bean and Vegetable Enchilada Casserole
- Bean Surprise
- Broiled Portobello Mushrooms
- Cajun Salmon over Polenta
- Chicken Chili
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Cranberry Salmon
- Cranberry-Turkey Salad Sandwiches
- Crispy Parmesan Turkey Cutlets
- Crunchy Veggie Wrap
- Easy Spinach Lasagna
- Eating Well Sloppy Joe
- Egg, Spinach, and Bacon Sandwiches
- Fish Filet with Squash and Herbs
- Greek-Style Scallops
- Grilled Ginger Tuna
- Grilled Halibut with a Tomato-Herb Sauce
- Grilled Portobello Burgers
- Grilled Vegetable Polenta with Pan Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Sauce
- Halibut with Citrus and Garlic
- Healthy Jambalaya
- Hearty Beef Stew with Winter Vegetables
- Hearty Mediterranean Stew
- Herbed Polenta with Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
- Indonesian Salmon
- Lasagna Rolls
- Lemon Dijon Salmon
- Mediterranean Grilled Veggie Pockets
- Molasses-Cured Pork Loin with Apples
- Mushroom Goulash
- New American Plate "Tetrazzini" Casserole
- New Tuna Salad
- Peppers Stuffed with Barley, Parmesan and Onion
- Pizza Meat Loaf
- Pumpkin Gnocchi
- Quinoa and Mushroom Pilaf with Dill
- Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
- Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Maple Mustard Sauce
- Scallion Crusted Arctic Char
- Seared Scallops with Beet Puree and Arugula Salad
- Soft Tacos with Southwestern Vegetables
- Spaghetti alla Carbonara
- Speedy Summer Ratatouille
- Spicy Broccoli, Cauliflower and Tofu
- Steamed Halibut on Spinach with Lemon Sauce
- Stuffed Cornish Hens
- Summer Tofu Kebab with Peanut Sauce
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Tofu
- Tofu Cutlets Marsala
- Turkey & Cranberry Wrap
- Turkey Reuben Grilled Sandwiches
- Udon Noodles with Spicy Peanut Ginger Sauce
- Veggie Pita Pizzas
- White Wine Coq au Vin
- Whole Wheat Pasta with Fennel, Peas and Arugula
- Zesty Roasted Chicken
For Patients
PREPARE FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT
- Bring your photo ID and Insurance Card
- Maps, directions, parking, public transit options, and contact information
Ask your physician for a REFERRAL for a Cancer Center Nutrition Appointment
Our dietitians are available for 45 minute consults by appointment only, Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Download our nutrition appointment flyer.
Questions about your appointment or need to make a change?
RESOURCES
For Health Care Professionals
Our dietitians are available for 45 minute consults by appointment only on: Mondays – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
HOW TO REFER
Call us at 1-650-498-6000 to refer a new patient for a nutrition consultation. If you wish to refer a patient to the Stanford Cancer Center, please call the Physician Helpline.
Download our nutrition appointment flyer.
Returning Patient
Questions about your appointment or need to make a change? Call:
Nutrition Services for Cancer Patients at Stanford Cancer Center Palo Alto
650-498-6000
Nutrition Services for Cancer Patients at Stanford Cancer Center South Bay
408-426-4900